Top 5 tips for Buggy Running by RunningBuggies.com
Wendy Rumble
When you escape the stuffy living room penitentiary and stride into the bright outdoors with your most precious little noise machine and your dusty old trainers, you might feel somewhat nervous. I certainly did. And not just because my running gear was straining at the seams after a year of very little activity and certainly no running.
Will it damage my baby? Is my baby old enough? Do I need to run differently? These are just some of the questions that commonly run through your mind when breaking free for that first buggy run.
Know this… getting out of the house for exercise is bloody brilliant. You will feel like a superhero afterwards vs the mums at Rhyme Time, even if it’s a 3k of fairy steps vs the old you bounding through 6 miles. Not only does it fuel your mental happiness, improve your physical wellbeing and provide beautiful delicious fresh air for your baby, it also provides an excellent example for them right from the start.
So how old does your baby have to be to come out in the running buggy with you? The industry standard is 6 months which is when their spine and neck is developed enough to deal with the increase shakes and bumps. It’s worth checking this when you buy your buggy though as some models recommend older, even 9 months.
It’s really important if you are taking your new baby out running that you have a buggy with all the best safety features. Take a look at the '7 things that make a buggy suitable for running' in the blog area of www.runningbuggies.com for the summary of these.
If you are coming back to running from a period of inactivity (hello like being pregnant) just take it slow. Try a run walk process to build up gradually.
Here are some things to think about to keep your posture in the best possible position for running with a buggy.
1) Run with one hand and swing the other arm. The ease of doing this depends on the terrain, bends to navigate and quality of the buggy you are pushing. (brilliant running buggies feel light and glide along) It’s important to swap swinging arms regularly to work both sides equally but remember to change over the wrist strap too.
2) Try not to lean on the handlebars, although when running up hill it may be tempting! When running up hill think about using your gluts (butt) for power, not your upper body and lean forward.
3) Stay close to the handlebars and you may be most comfortable with a slight bend in your waist but keep your head up, shoulders down and lead with your chest.
4) Keep your feet straight. A good running buggy has a wide wheel base so you don’t have to alter your stride. (Hopefully you can still fit past the wheelie bins.) Don’t fall into the trap of turning your feet outwards. (Like a penguin.)
5) Keep your forearms at 90 degrees to your body and wrists straight. Adjust the handle height of the buggy to allow for this.